Nightime searches for hiding Confederates were not uncommon. One southern belle whose husband was an engineer in the Southern service recalled one such search.

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Often & often have I gone over the house at night with them searching as they said "for Rebs." I early heard that the best way to get along with them was to put on a bold air, & tho often feeling as if exposure was certain, I never let them know. Oh how many of them used to sit in a large old fashioned cushioned chair, little thinking that underneath the cushion was grey cloth & other articles which w'd have caused them to turn us out, had they known it. They caused us to resort to many ingenious ways of eluding them & we were always ready with an answer, tho I assure you it was no easy matter to appear cool with 4 men with revolvers cocked & holding near your head, guarding you, & making you go with them & search the house, but I must tell you an amusing incident. Ours was an old fashioned house. You went into the Cellar from a passage & the door of which looked like a closet, & one night to my great satisfaction one of the men who were searching the house for a Southern soldier who they insisted we had concealed went to the door & called out, "I've got him Cap," gave it a push, & went headlong down the cellar. I asked him if we w'd not have a light, as they had been ordering me to bring a light in so many places at once. I told them when searching in Dixie they ought to remember lights were scarce & they ought to bring their own."